Review: Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter

As if in tribute to the film it was inspired by, KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER was helmed by two brothers: David and Nathan Zellner bring us a gorgeous story of a Japanese woman whose mind becomes cracked by the tug-of-war between societal norms and the allure/whisper/dream of her own path.

While all the other girls are young and vibrant and friendly, Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is reserved and shy and somewhat against pleasantries. She spends her time going off by herself, exploring and cross-stitching treasure maps and feeding her pet rabbit, Bunzo. At one point early on, she describes her desire to be like the Spanish Conquistadors who discovered America and its riches. In great contrast, her job as an office assistant has become a point of contention, as most women over 25 have either gotten married or are aspiring to further their careers (she is 29 and doing none of those things). The one solace that Kumiko clings to is an old VHS tape of the movie, FARGO, which she believes will lead her to the treasure that the plot reveals.

To anyone else, a little red flag would be appearing right about now. It is pretty common knowledge in the US that, though the introductory titles of FARGO state that the film is based on a true story, it is, in fact, fictional... but perhaps someone who did not grow up with the film in their backyard (perhaps, say, someone living in Japan) may not know this. So begins Kumiko's journey, as, completely oblivious to the truth, she steals her boss' company credit card and sets off to find the treasure.

It's a little bit of a stretch that Kumiko could honestly believe the treasure will be sitting on the side of a highway in Fargo, waiting for her; but to her credit, perhaps she can't live with the idea of not believing in the treasure. Kumiko's mother (and the rest of society, for that matter) keep pestering her to either get married or go home, and she has no other goals to strive for, so maybe this treasure really is her last resort.

Not only is this film visually stunning, but it's a chilling commentary on society. The first half of the film makes some strong statements about society's expectations for women; and the second half of the film switches over to the topic of racism. Abandoning the more commonplace stigma that a woman needs to be outgoing and extroverted to forge her own path, Kumiko serves as a pioneer -- or conquistador, shall we say -- for introverts everywhere: regardless of whether or not she succeeds, her story will be passed on.

KUMIKO is now playing at the Midtown Cinema. This is not a film to skip out on -- come watch it and tell us what you think!